The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of concurrent and reciprocal isometric contraction and angle of ankle joint on fatigue of concentrically contracting contralateral dorsiflexor and plantar flexor. Seventeen able-bodied subjects participated in the study. Concurrent and reciprocal isometric contraction were performed under three different ankle joint angles (dorsiflexion, neutral position, plantar flexion). During concurrent or reciprocal isometric contraction. fatigue of concentrically contracting contralateral tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, and soleus was investigated and compared. There was no interaction between different ankle joint angles and direction of isometric contraction (p<.05). No significant differences were found among three different ankle joint angles (p<.05). Contralateral muscle fatigability was lower in reciprocal isometric contraction than that in concurrent isometric contraction (p<.05). Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that reciprocal isometric contraction is more beneficial than concurrent isometric contraction inducing less fatigability during contralateral concentric contraction.

Slipping during various kinds of movement often leads to potentially dangerous incidents of falling. The purpose of this paper was to review some of the research performed in the field including such topics as rating scales for balance, kinematics and kinetics of slipping, adaptation to slippery conditions, postural and balance control, and protective movement during falling. Controlling slipping and fall injuries requires a multifaceted approach. Environmental conditions (state of floor surface, tidiness, lighting, etc), work task (walking, carrying, pushing, lifting, etc), and human behavior (anticipation of hazards, adaptation to risks, risk taking, etc) must be accounted for in the assessment of slip and fall-related risks. Future directions of research must deal with modeling of basic tribophysical, biomechanical, and postural control process involved in slipping and falling.